Chair-swing.



Patented Sept. 4, I900. w. s. WITTER.

CHAIR SWING.

(Application filed Mar. 22, 1900.)

2 Sheeis-Shoot I.

(No Modal.)

n. W 4 W No. 657.!88. Patented Sept. 4, I900. W. S. WITTER.

CHAIR SWING.

(Application filed. Mar. 22, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2.

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'WILLIAM SIBERT WITTER, OF RIDOTT, I LLINOIS;

CHAIR-SWING.

srnorrrcnrron forming part of Letters Patent to, 657,188, datedSeptember 4, 19cc. Application filed March 22, 1900. Serial No. 9,712.(No model.)

To all whom it'nmy concern/.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SIBERT WIT- TER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Ridott, in the county of Stephenson and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Chair-Swing, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The usual construction of chair swings, to which general class ofdevices my invention appertains, has comprehended the employment of aframe embodying a portable base and a high superstructure, from whichlatter depend the pendant-supports of one or more swinging chairs.Swinging motion is imparted to the pendants by a swinging movement ofthe body of the occupant, and the chair bottoms or seats are ordinarilymounted in a manner to permit the operator or occupant to exert hisstrength to change the angular relations of the pendants with respect toa movable foot-rest pivoted to the pendants and against which the feetof the operator are braced. This muscular effort, intermittentlyapplied, serves to augment the swaying of the body to maintain themotion of the swing. The cumbersome nature of this structure precludesthe possibility of its general use indoors, and the high superstructurerenders it unstable and liable to topple over in the event of violentswinging.

The primary object of my present invention therefore is to devise aportable chairswing embodying a comparatively-small supporting-framehaving no superstructure eX tending above the occupant and capable ofbeing swung through power applied by either the arms or legs of theoccupant, or both, as desired.

A further object of the invention is to render the chair-backsadjustable and to provide for the ready conversion of the device into aswinging bed or cradle.

To these ends the invention consists in suspendinga light platform frompendants swung from the upper ends of movable standards pivotallysupported by a portable base, the front and rear chair supports or legsbeing 'pivotally connected to the pendants and platform, respectively.

The invention further consists in extending 'the pendants above theirpivotal supports, where they terminate in handles, and

finally in providing means for changing the inclinations of the backsand for permitting them to be turned down into horizontal positionsbetween the adjacent edges of the seat to effect the conversion of thedevice for use as a childs bed or cradle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrative of a structuralembodiment of the" invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my swingcomplete, an adjusted position of one back being indicated in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View showing in dotted linesthe horizontal position of a back to form a couch or bed. Fig. 3 is asectional end elevation of the swing. Fig. 4 is a detail perspectiveview of a chair and its sup ports; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one ofthe front supports.

Referring to the numerals of reference indicating corresponding partsand structural characteristics in the several views, 1 indicates aportable base of any desired construction, but preferably composed ofside rails 2, set on edge and connected by transverse bars 3, properlylocated to permit of the interpo sitionof a movable platform 4: betweenthe rails. This platform,which is, broadly speaking, a movableseat-supporting member, is preferably somewhat shorter than the base andis composed of side bars 5, connected and spaced by a number oftransverse slats 6, secured at their opposite ends upon the upper edgesof the bars 5 and located in a slightlyhigher horizontal plane than thesteps 7, formed by a horizontal longitudinal strip nailed or otherwisesecured upon the rails of the base. The platform is further strengthenedby light transverse bars or shafts 8, preferably square in cross-sectionand having cylindrical ends projecting through and beyond the sides ofthe platform and constituting pintles 9 for the lower ends of pendants10, swinging from What may properly be termed fulcrums, as the upperends of the pendants are extended to form handles 12, thus convertingthem into levers, which are manually operated in a manner to be noted toimpart a swinging movement to the platform and its connected parts.

Between each pair of pendants 10 is pivotally supported a chair, theseat 13 of which is provided with relatively-fixed and prefer ports arepreferably retained by transverse bars 16, extending between and throughthe seat-bars 17 of the seat, and by transverse 'bars or shafts 18,similar to the bars 8 and likewise terminating beyond the sides of theto platform to constitute pintles 19 for the lower ends of the rearsupports.

The front chair-supportsli terminate. a short distance above theplatform, and each pair is pivotally connected at its'lower' end 5 tothe adjacent pendants or levers 10, as by a shaft 20. The upper ends'ofthe front sup:- ports are extended above the seats somewhat to serve assupports for the chair-arms 2.1,, pivotally secured thereto, andlikewise piv- 20 otally connected at their rear ends to the op positesides of an angularly-adjustable and reversible chair-back 2 2. Anysuitabl emeans may be employed for the purpose of securing thisadjustability and reversibility of the back; but a simple manner ofaccomplishing the desired end is to form a terminal recess 23 in eachside bar of the back and designed to detachably retain the back in itsvarious angular positions by engagement with the bar'16 or with anydesired back-retaining lug 24,,a series of which project horizontallyfrom each seat-bar 17.

The structure thus far described is com-- plete and operative, since itwill appear that 3 5 swinging motion may beim'parted to theplatform andthevarious parts carried thereby through the exertions of the occupantor occupants of the chair or chairs; butI desire'to' augment or magnifythe movement ordinarily 0 obtained by suspending the pendants fromsupports which are themselves capable of more or less movement. Thesesupports for the pendants I will term vibrating standards because theirmovement is necessarily restricted and amounts to little more thanvibration, which, however, being effective at the point of suspension isproductive of considerable acceleration o'f movementat the 0pposite endof the element suspended. Each vibrating standard is composed of twopairs of downwardly-divergent standard-bars 25,

each pair being located just inside of one of the base-rails 2 andbifurcated at their upper ends, as indicated at 26, for the reception of5 5 the opposite extremities of a short horizontal pendant-supportinglink 26, pivotal-1y c'onnected to each bar 25 and made rigid with abracket 27, projecting from and fixed to the. adjacent pendant 10 justbelow its handle.

The lower ends of the transversely-opposed bars 25 of the two pairsconstituting a set or standardthat is to say, the front or rear nectedto transverse rock-shafts 28, extending between and journaled in thebase-rails 2 below the platform 4. Thus it-will appear that the movementof the corresponding standard-bars will be identical and that thevibration of the fulcrums or points of suspen sion of the pendants willbe limited to the difference between the combined dimensions of thesides of the angle formed by a bar and link and the hypotenuse of suchangle, since the mounting of the bars on difierent centers limits theirpivotal movement to the accom modationafiorded by the link therefor.

It may be noted that the present embodiment of my invention comprehendstwo oppositely-disposcd seats or chairs identically constructed andmounted; but-it is obvious that the device would be equally operativewith a single chair or with more than two, as

each chair is independent of-the other,"while the occupant of each maycontribute to propulsion of the swing;

In brief, the operation of the swing is as.

follows: The occupants seated in the chairs with their feet resting uponthe platform grasp the handles 12 of the pendants or 0perating-leversand by pushing with the feet and pulling upon the handles exert forcetending to change the relative angle of the platform: with respect tothe pendants. This of course can notbe done without swinging oroscillating the pendants, since the platform is; suspended from aplurality of points by pendants-of equal len gth,and consequently cannotbe urged out of its horizontal position. The force thus exerted isdiscontinued assoon as slight motion is imparted to theeither or both ofthesemeans of propulsion may be employed, as desired. The weight of theoccupant is likewise utilized, as the rigid connection of the seat andits front support constitute one member of a toggle-lever, the othermember of which is the rear support 15, the ends of the toggle being atthe a-X'es thereof of the-shaftslS and 20,'and the knuckles: at the axisof the shaft 16.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings I have illustrated j in dotted lines how aback 22 may be swung .upon the arms 21,, and turned down or reversedintoahorizontal position, resting upon the edges of the back seatsand closing thespace between the seats to convert the device into achilds bed.

bars, as the case may be-are rigidly conj From the foregoing it will beobserved that simple and durable construction by means IIO . I haveproduced a portable chair-swing of vention described and illustrated isbelieved at this time to be preferable I desire to reserve the right toefiect such changes, modifications, and variations as may come properlywithin the scope of the protection prayed.

Therefore whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A swing comprising a stationary base, standards pivotally connectedto the base, pendants pivotally connected to the upper ends of thestandards, a seat, and pivoted seat-supports, one of which latter isrigidly connected to the seat and is pivotally connected to the pendantsat a point below the seat.

2. The combination with a suitable support, of swinging pendants, aplatform carried by the pendants, pivoted seat-supports, one of whichlatter is rigidly connected to the seat and is pivotally connected to apendant at a point below the seat, and operating means located above theseat and operatively connected with one of the pendants.

3. A swing comprising a support, swinging pendants carried thereby, oneof said pendants being extended above its point of sus pension to forman operating-handle, a movable platform supported by the pendants, aseat, and means operatively connecting the seat with the pendants andplatform, respectively.

4. The combination Withasnitable support, swinging pendants, and aplatform carried by the pendants, of a seat having front and rearsupports pivotally connected to the pendants and platform respectively,and an operatinghandle operatively related to one of the pendants.

5. The combination with a supporting-pendant, of a seat, a seat-supportpivotally connected to the pendant below and extended above the seat andconnected to the seat adjacent to its front edge, an arm rest carried bythe extended upper end of the support, and means for supporting the rearedge of the seat.

6. The combination with a base and vibrating standards, of pendantssuspended from the upper ends of the standards and extended above theirpoints of suspension to form operating-handles, a platform carried bythe pendants, a seat provided with a relativelyrigid front supportpivotally connected to the pendants above the platform and With arelatively-movable rear support pivoted to theplatform.

7. In a swing of the class described, the combination with the base, ofmovable standards connected with the base and arising therefrom swingingpendants pivotally suspended to said support, of an arm-rest pivoted atone end to the seat-support, a back pivotally connected at anintermediate point to the opposite end of the arm-rest, and means for adjustably connecting the back with the seat.

9. The combination with a pendant-support, of a seat, a seat-supportrigidly con nected to the seat and pivotally connected to the pendantbelow said seat, an arm-rest connected to the seat-support above theseat, a back pivotally connected to the opposite end of the arm-rest,and means for effecting a detachable pivotal connection between one edgeof the back and the seat.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SIBERT \VITTER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES PFLUKE, BERT BARB.

